Returning officers must play responsible role

Returning officers can play an effective role in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The law has given them the scope to sort out nomination papers in manner that is legal and above debate. Much has been said about the strong role of the election commission, but the Representation of the People Order has given the ROs powers akin to that of judges in selecting competent candidates.
They can cancel nomination papers if false information is provided in reply to any of the eight queries of the commission. According to the law, the ROs can do this after a brief investigation on their own accord or following an objection submitted by others. They also can file lawsuits if anyone is found providing misinformation. According to section 181 of the penal code, providing wrong information in nomination papers in a punishable crime, deserving a maximum three years imprisonment and a fine. The people look towards the ROs for unbiased effective steps in this regard.
The provision to hang the candidates’ declarations outside the returning officer’s office should not be a mere formality. It is the responsibility of the RO to make public the information provided on the candidate’s declaration. They have to ensure all are equal in the eyes of law.
The election commission has not clearly enunciated which posts of the republic are profit-making and which are not. This should not differ from one constituency to the other. The ethics of the returning officers would be put into question if their decisions are not applicable to one and all.
A candidate’s criminal records, if any, should be mentioned in the declarations. The candidates may try to hide their past but the people have the right to know about it. At the same time, the candidates may hide information about their professions, their probable sources of income and wealth, and of their dependents. Hiding such information is enough for a nomination paper to be cancelled.
It is also the responsibility of the ROs to inform voters about the pledges made in the previous elections and how much was fulfilled, and the amount of loans taken from banks or financial institutions by the candidates individually, jointly or by family members dependent on them. The returning officers truly are judges and administrators regarding the elections.
What they would do on the voting day is of course an important issue. But at the same time, they can set an example of abiding by the rules while sorting nomination papers. They can assure people of setting a new example of implementation of rule of law under a political government.
For the first time in the country’s history, a participatory and competitive election is to be held under a political government. The returning officers can assure people about the acceptability of the polls by properly carrying out their responsibilities during the pre-poll period.